CANDLE ATLAS OF THE BIBLE
By Tim Dowley
Candle Books. 96 pages
ISBN 1 85985 329 3
There are several good Bible atlases on the market. This comparatively simple one is aimed mainly at school students. It contains 79 very clear maps of Bible lands, plus colour photographs, charts and diagrams designed to illustrate the background to major battles, migrations, invasions and the travels of the main Bible characters.
The accompanying text retells the story of the 'plot' of the Bible. It is in plain and simple American English. There is almost no attempt at interpretation of the narrative. As a result there is nothing that lays itself open to argument. Sometimes the explanatory text borders on the simplistic. For example the birth of Jesus is described in 160 uncontroversial words. There is also some simple description of extra-biblical events, such as the Jewish revolts against the Romans and the Spread of Christianity. However, most people will buy it for the clarity of the maps and diagrams, not the text.
